As 2009 comes to a close, Sporting News experts predict which athletes will rule their sports in the next 10 years.

NFL: The case for Aaron Rodgers

His age in 2019: 36His team: The Packers. They said so-long to Brett Favre to make room for Rodgers. He is their franchise guy.Player of the Decade credentials: He has great touch, accuracy and mobility and gets better every year. And unlike running backs, quarterbacks play at a high level well into their 30s. G.M. Ted Thompson drafts well, and coach Mike McCarthy is solid. The Packers and Rodgers should have a nice run.

— Clifton Brown

NBA: The case for LeBron James

His age in 2019: 35 His team(s) in the teens: The flirtation with the Knicks has helped create 2010 drama, but he won't be leaving his hometown Cavs.Player of the Decade credentials: He was an MVP at age 24, has averaged nearly 28 points per game for his career and has the kind of nightly triple-double potential that evokes Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson. Perhaps the only thing that could keep James out of the greatest-ever conversation will be whether he gets a team around him that can win a championship.

— Sean Deveney

MLB: The case for Joe Mauer

His age in 2019: 36His team in the teens: The Twins will keep their hometown hero at home by giving him a contract that covers most of the decade. Player of the Decade credentials: He's the best player at the game's most demanding position. He has won an MVP, two Gold Gloves and three batting titles. And he's still getting better. All that's left is October glory, a challenge Mauer will meet once the Twins shed their small-revenue ways with their move into Target Field.

— Stan McNeal

NHL: The case for Alex Ovechkin

His age in 2019: 34His team in the teens: In 2008, Ovechkin signed a 13-year contract
extension with the Capitals. He’s not going anywhere.Player of the Decade credentials: Ovechkin will contend for multiple Stanley Cups, not to mention a gold medal in the 2014 Winter Olympics on Russian ice at Sochi. His 60-goal potential, rock star persona and deal with marketing powerhouse IMG will skyrocket his popularity beyond hockey.

— Craig Custance

This story first appeared in the Dec. 30 edition of Sporting News Today. If you are not receiving Sporting News Today, the only daily digital sports newspaper, sign up today for free.